The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Plateau

  • Plateau killings: Lalong vows to deal with attackers

    Plateau killings: Lalong vows to deal with attackers

    Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has vowed to identify and prosecute those behind the resurgence of terror attacks in the state.

    Lalong made the pledge on Sunday while reacting to Saturday night attack by unknown gunmen on Tagbe Village, Jebbu Miango, Bassa Local Government Area, where six persons were killed and five others severely injured.

    The governor, in a statement by the Director of Press Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Nanle, warned that government would not relent in its renewed efforts at identifying and prosecuting all those behind this heinous crimes.

    He said that the killers and their sponsors seek to take the state back to the dark days of violent conflicts and vowed not to let that happen.

    According to statement, the criminal elements perpetrating the spade of vicious attack within the Irigwe Chiefdom of Bassa, were finding refuge among the inhabitants of those areas.

    “We are shock over the night gun attack on Tagbe Village, Jebbu Miango of Saturday the 14th October 2017, after the failed attack on Nzoruvho Village, which resulted in the killing of 6 persons and 5 others who sustained various forms of gunshot injuries.

    “The attack coming at the heels of the 12 hours curfew imposed over Bassa LGA, leaves government with serious concerns,” he said.

    The governor appealed to all residents of the affected areas in Bassa and the surrounding border villages, to volunteer useful information that will lead to the arrest of all the criminals behind this sudden resurgence of terror.

    He warned that any person or group of persons in villages and neighbourhoods identified to have been providing refuge and escape for these criminals, will incur the wrath of the law.

    Lalong extended his heartfelt condolences to families of the bereaved and directed the State Emergency Management Agency and Ministry of Health to immediately coordinate medical services for the injured as well as provide all necessary humanitarian relief materials to the affected areas.

    The governor also appealed for calm from all law abiding citizens in these areas of attacks all around Bassa.

    He assured that security has been reinforced, while intelligence and security search and patrol have also been intensified to ensure the immediate arrest of the culprits.

    NAN

  • Six dead, five injured in Plateau attack

    The Plateau State Police Command yesterday confirmed six persons dead and five others injured in Saturday’s attack on Tegbe, Bassa Local Government Area.

    The spokesman, Terna Tyopev, said the attackers invaded the village, about midnight. Ten houses were burnt.

    The injured had been taken to hospital.

    The attack happened a day after Governor Simon Lalong imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the council, as part of measures to curtail attacks.

    A statement by Lalong’s Director of Press, Emmanuel Nanle, expressed the government’s anger at the killings.

    The statement reads: “Governor Lalong has expressed shock at last Saturday’s attack on Tegbe Village, after the failed attack on Nzoruvho Village, which resulted in the death of six persons.

    “The attack, coming on the heels of the 12-hour curfew imposed on Bassa council, leaves the government with concerns that these criminal elements are finding refuge among residents.

    “The government has warned, and is reiterating, that it will not relent in its efforts at identifying and prosecuting those behind this heinous crime. It is, therefore, pleading with residents of these conflict areas in Bassa and surrounding border villages, to volunteer information that will lead to arrest of the criminals.

    “The government warns that any person or group of persons, identified to have been providing refuge and escape for these criminals, will not be spared the wrath of the law.

    “The governor extends his condolences to families of the bereaved, and has directed the State Emergency Management Agency and Ministry of Health to coordinate medical services for the injured and provide humanitarian relief materials to the attacked areas.

    “The governor appeals for calm, and promise that security has been reinforced; intelligence and security search and patrol has also been intensified to ensure arrest of the culprits.”

    Some villagers have allegedly fled their homes for security reasons.

  • Police confirm 6 dead, 5 injured in Plateau village attack

    Police confirm 6 dead, 5 injured in Plateau village attack

    The Plateau Police Command on Sunday confirmed six persons dead and five others injured in a Saturday night attack on Taagbe, a village in Bassa Local Government Area.

    Its Public Relations Officer, Terna Tyopev, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the attackers, who invaded the village at 12 midnight, also burnt down 10 houses.

    He said that those injured had been taken to various hospitals in Jos.

    NAN reports that the killings took place a day after Gov. Simon Lalong imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the local government, as part of measures to curtail the attacks on the villagers.

    Lalong had said that the action became necessary “in view of recurring incidences of attacks in the area”

    Mr Udie Adie, the Commissioner of Police in Plateau, on Sunday visited Taegbe, a village in Bassa Local Government, which was invaded by gunmen Saturday night.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the attackers, who invaded the village at midnight, killed six persons and injured scores of others.

    The attackers also burnt down many houses. NAN counted 10 houses totally destroyed.

    Among those killed were five adults and a teenager.

    An eye witness, Mr Sunday Yari, told newsmen, who visited the scene, that the attack took place in the early hours of Sunday.

    “The attackers came with sophisticated weapons and moved from one house to another, unleashing mayhem on the locals.

    “They razed down a lot of houses and destroyed properties worth millions of naira,” he said.

    Yari wondered why the attacks were being casually carried out in spite of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed 0n the local government by the Plateau government.

    “It took the grace of God for me to escape. From my hideout, I watched them killing my aged father and two younger ones. I couldn’t act because I was not armed,” he said.

    Adie, who spoke with newsmen at the scene of the attack, described it “very unfortunate”.

    “We shall deploy officers and men to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book.

    “We shall also identify critical stakeholders within the area and work with them toward ending these attacks. We must find a way to end these incessant attacks on the locals.

    “For now, we shall keep our officers and men on ground to protect the area; we shall try to ensure that no one takes the law into his hands,” he said.

    NAN reports that those killed had been buried while the injured were taken to Inos Hospital, Miango in Bassa Local Government. (NAN)

  • FRSC arrests 350 unlicenced drivers in Plateau

    FRSC arrests 350 unlicenced drivers in Plateau

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Plateau, says it has arrested 350 unlicensed drivers during its special patrol on the highways in the state.

    The sector Commander, Mrs Pat Emordi, made this known on Sunday in Jos.

    The Command had on Oct 4 begun a special patrol to ensure unlicensed drivers and unregistered vehicles keep away from highways in the state.

    According Emordi, the affected drivers have been sent to various driving schools within the state, “for proper training that would qualify them to obtained valid licences.’’

    “This special patrol we initiated is really yielding positive result for us.
    “I assure you, until they are done with their training and the right is done, their vehicles will remain with us.

    “Road safety is everyone’s business and we believe that if all of us have the right attitude towards driving, our roads will be safer, “she said.

    Emordi called on drivers in the state to abide by the rules and regulations on driving and keep the roads safe. (NAN)

  • Gov. Lalong imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa LG

    Gov. Lalong imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa LG

    Worried by incessant attacks on communities on Bassa Local Government, Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the area.

    A statement by Mr Emmanuel Nanle, Director of Press Affairs, said that the decision became necessary “in view of recurring incidences of attack in the area”.

    The curfew will run from 6 am to 6 pm daily, it said.

    “There are recurring incidences of attacks on Irigwe chiefdom and neighbouring areas around Bassa; there are also attacks on communities on the borders of the local government, especially around Vom in Jos South and Manchok in Kaduna State.

    “To guarantee effective security operation toward protecting life and property, the governor has approved the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew, which takes effect immediately,” the statement said.

    A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos that the governor’s decision followed reports of the burning of houses by unknown men that invaded some villages in Irigwe chiefdom on Friday.

    Mr Terna Tyopev, spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, who confirmed the burning of the houses, however, declined further details.

    NAN reports that the Friday attack on Bassa Local Government is the third in three weeks, after two other violent invasions claimed 28 lives in Ncha and Jebu-Miango semi-urban settlements. (NAN)

  • Gunmen kill former Plateau HoS, two others

    Gunmen kill former Plateau HoS, two others

    Gunmen on Tuesday attacked Wereh village in Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State, killing former Plateau Head of Service, Moses Gwom, and two other persons.

    Sources from the village indicated that the assailants invaded the village at night, shot many people, and ran into the bush.

    “The attack lasted about 10 minutes or so,” the source told the on Wednesday in Jos.

    Mr Terna Tyopev, the Public Relations Officer ( PPRO ) of the Plateau Police Command, who confirmed the incident, said that it took place “around 8 pm on Tuesday”.

    “The incident took place on Tuesday, that I can confirm. Another thing I can confirm is that a former Head of Service was killed and many others were injured,” he said.

    He said that investigation had begun toward unraveling the mystery behind the killings.

    The recent attack is the third in the last few weeks in Plateau.

    Last week, gunmen killed Alhaji Mohammed Suleiman, the Village Head of Gyangyang in Jhar Chiefdom of Kanam Local Government. Twenty-five others had been killed at Ncha village in Miango, Bassa Local Government, a week earlier.

    NAN

  • N1.162bn fraud: Ex Gov. Dariye closes case

    N1.162bn fraud: Ex Gov. Dariye closes case

    Former governor of Plateau, Joshua Dariye on Tuesday, in an FCT High Court sitting in Gudu, closed his defence in the alleged N1.162 billion fraud trial.

    Dariye is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) in a 21-count charge of money laundering and diversion of ecological funds to the tune of N1.162 billion belonging to the state.

    Dariye closed his case after calling 16 defence witnesses.

    Dariye’s counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi ( SAN ), told the court that they have closed their case and applied for a written address.

    “My Lord, I am pleased to inform your Lordship we are closing the case for the defence and we will like to address you,’’ Agabi said.

    Mr O. Atolagbe, holding the brief of Mr Rotimi Jacobs ( SAN ), the EFCC prosecution, did not object to the application.

    Atolagbe said that the prosecution will also be grateful to address the court.

    Justice Adebukola Banjoko adjourned hearing until Dec. 7, for the written addresses.

    Dariye, on Sept. 18, employed Agabi, a former Attorney General of the Federation, as his new counsel after his lawyer, Mr Garba Pwul withdrew from the case.

    NAN

  • ITF trains 65 teachers, donates 210 desks to two schools

    ITF trains 65 teachers, donates 210 desks to two schools

    The Industrial Training Fund ( ITF ) has trained 65 teachers and donated 210 desks to two schools in Plateau, its Director-General, Mr Joseph Ari, said on Thursday in Jos.

    Ari, who said that the gesture was part of ITF’s corporate responsibility to its host community, identified the benefiting schools as Government Science School, Kuru, and St. Joseph Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin-Ladi.

    He said that the schools also received various teaching aids to improve the quality of service delivery.

    According to him, ITF donated 20 computers to the two schools and renovated the sick bay at the seminary.

    “We also converted the school dispensary of the Science School, Kuru to a sick bay, and provided the required equipment and drugs,” he said.

    The ITF boss said that teachers’ development had remained a major concern of the ITF because they constituted a major factor in the provision of quality education.

    He said that ITF had also provided practical experience to students in 311 tertiary institutions using the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).

    “We are also working with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association ( NECA ) to train workers on technical skills in 24 organisations,” he said.

    He said that Industrial Training Fund had also extended such gesture to technical schools in Benin and Federal Technical College, Awka, in Anambra.

  • Plateau recruits 5,253 teachers to enhance quality education

    Plateau recruits 5,253 teachers to enhance quality education

    The Plateau Government on Thursday said it had recruited 5,253 ad hoc teachers as part of efforts to address shortage of teachers in the state.

    The Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board ( SUBEB ), Prof Mathew Sule, disclosed this while fielding questions in Jos.

    Sule said the state government had also trained more than 700 teachers to enhance their capacity and to provide quality education.

    The chairman said the deficit and quality of teachers in public primary and Junior Secondary schools had been a major concern to the government.

    “We visited some primary schools and discovered that many of the pupils in the senior classes cannot read or write.

    “As part of efforts to address the situation, SUBEB organised a three-day training in March on ‘Jolly phonics’ for 700 teachers across the state,” he said.

    NAN

  • Court sentence man to death for killing father

    Court sentence man to death for killing father

    A Plateau State High Court on Friday sentenced a 20-year-old man, Ponjul Yakubu, to death by hanging, for shooting his father to death.

    Reports says that Justice A.I. Ashoms gave the sentence after he found Yakubu guilty of a one-count charge of culpable homicide, punishable with death under section 221 of the Penal Code.

    “Going by the findings of this court, you, Ponjul Yakubu, mercilessly took the life of your father, Mr Domsing Yakubu, in cold blood.

    “You have, however, shown remorse and appeared sober throughout your trial; however, this sentence is mandatory as the law states that any person convicted of murder shall be punished with death by hanging.

    “The sentence of this court upon you is that you, Ponjul Yakubu, will be hanged until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul,” he declared.

    Reports suggest that Yakubu was arraigned on July 8, 2015, to face a one-count charge of culpable homicide punishable with death, after allegedly committing the crime on May 5, 2015.

    Yakubu was specifically accused of using his father’s dane gun to kill him ( father ), while the old man was taking an afternoon nap under a tree in their home at Dorowa, in Vwang Gwong Village, Shendam Local Government, Plateau State.

    When Yakubu appeared in court, however, he pleaded not guilty to the allegation of killing his father.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Gideon Azi of the Plateau State Ministry of Justice, who investigated the matter, however, told the court that Yakubu had confessed to killing his father for refusing to buy a motorcycle for him.

    “He ( Yakubu ) confessed that he returned home on the said date and found his father sleeping on a mat under a tree, went into his ( father )’s room, took his loaded gun and shot him at close range,” Azi told the court.

    Azi submitted Yakubu’s confessional statement to the court as evidence, and quoted the accused as saying that he committed the crime alone.

    Yakubu promptly owned up to the statement that bore his thumb print.

    Azi further quoted the accused as saying that his father, after harvesting about a thousand tubers of yam and several   bags of maize and millet, promised to buy a motorcycle for him after selling them.

    The accused was further quoted as saying that his father sold the farm produce without consulting him, and also refused to buy the motorcycle as promised, an action that provoked him into killing him.

    Speaking to reporter after the judgement, Mr Singa Zhatau, the Defense Counsel, said that the judgement was right in view of the evidence presented in the court.

    “Before taking any further step to appeal, I want to state that the reasoning in this judgement is valid.

    “Justice is a three-way traffic – justice for the state, the accused and the victim.

    “I believe that this judgement would further reassure the society that justice can be obtained in the courts.

    “This confidence building will go a long way in addressing the rampant instances of jungle justice that are becoming common in the country,” he said.

    NAN